India end league campaign with crushing 9 wkt win over UAE

Mirpur: India today maintained their all-win record by producing yet another resounding performance to thrash minnows United Arab Emirates by nine wickets in a lop- sided inconsequential round robin league match of the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament, here today.

The Indian juggernaut rolled on as they have now won nine out of the 10 T20 Inetrnationals played this year, a very good track record going into the ICC World T20.

Chasing a small target of 82, the Indians romped home in only 10.1 overs with Rohit Sharma hitting a flurry of boundaries in his 28-ball-39. In all he hit seven fours and a six adding 43 for the opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan (16 not out), which incidentally is the highest for India for the first wicket in this tournament.

Yuvraj Singh (25 no off 14 balls), promoted up the order at No 3 ahead of Virat Kohli, to got a decent knock in the middle. He hit a few free-flowing boundaies including an effortless six off Mohammed Shahzad. Yuvraj finished the match off the first delivery of the 11th over with a boundary off Shahzad.

Dhawan however did not look fully confident as he was tested by a few rising deliveries that deviated off the surface.

Earlier, India’s reserve bench put up an impressive show to restrict UAE to a meagre 81 for nine after being asked to field.

UAE’s total is the second lowest by an international team without being bowled out.

UAE had no answer to India’s disciplined bowling effort with the second string attack of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/8 in 4 overs), Jasprit Bumrah (1/23 in 4 overs), Hardik Pandya (1/11 in 3 overs), Harbhajan Singh (1/11 in 4 overs) and Pawan Negi (1/16) putting relentless pressure on the inexperienced opposition. Even Yuvraj (1/10 in 2 overs) chipped in with a scalp.

This is the second time in the tournament that India has restricted the opposition to less-than 100 total.

There was such distinct difference in standards that it turned out to be a no contest from the outset. The total number of dots conceded by UAE in the match was an unprecedented 77 deliveries.